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3 Keys Ingredients to a Successful Communications Ministry

July 23, 2012 in Communications, Culture, General, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy, Technology with 0 Comments

Within the church, most Communication Directors fall into the trap of viewing their positions as administrative rather than ministry roles. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. It’s way beyond an administrative role. Leaders, pastors and directors need to view it that way, and so does the rest of the staff. When I worked on a church staff in a communications role, I fought long and hard to be called a Communications Pastor instead of a Communications Director. I felt that strongly about it.

The reason I believe it’s a ministry role is because we play such a huge role in communicating the heart, uniqueness and message of the church to the congregation and the community. If we do a poor job of communicating not only the gospel but also the heart of the church, we’re not bringing new people to the church or keeping current members engaged with the vision and mission of the church. Leaders have to recognize the work we do is eternal work and not simply “marketing”.

Here’s an example: My team was working with a church on a project where we built their entire web experience. Afterward, one of the pastors came up to me and said, “I really want to thank you for the work you did for our church.” I asked him, “Why are you thankful for the work we’ve done?” He replied, “Because of your ability to put every effort you have into our web experience, we’ve had several people join our young adult ministry. When we ask them, why did you decide to look at our church? They said because of the website.” That confirmed to me we do play a role in ministry.

With that in mind, here are three essentials to creating an effective communications ministry:

1. Standards – When I refer to “standards”, I’m talking about brand standards. This is where you articulate the mission, values, strategy, measures and vision of the church. Inside the Brand Standards document, you have:

Your church logo, tagline and statements
How to use the logo and how not to use the logo
The fonts you use (heading font, subheading font, etc.)
Style (professional, clean, modern, etc.) and color template
Email signatures and phone messages

Those are just some examples of the standards that protect your brand. If you don’t have standards, you have no foundation to protect and communicate your message.

2. Strategy – After you develop your standards, you’ve got a good idea of who you are as a church. Your strategy involves understanding your audience, and then identifying the best way of communicating who you are to that potential audience. You have to bridge the communication gap between your church and your audience.

One great way to do this: Survey your current church audience. Ask them how they prefer to be communicated to on a regular basis. That will give you a pretty good idea of how people outside your church want to receive communications.

You have a lot of options in how you communicate – from traditional forms like radio, newspaper, billboard, magazine and direct mail to new ways like inbound marketing, search engine optimization, social media, e-newsletters, video broadcasting, websites and blogging. All these are available, but you need to identify what’s best for you. You have to decide:

HOW you are going to communicate to your audience
WHAT you’re going to communicate to your audience
WHEN you’re going to communicate to your audience

And you have to make sure you have metrics in place to gauge whether or not you’re achieving your desired results.

3. Systems – You can have great standards and strategy, but if you don’t have systems in place it will not be upheld. Let me repeat that: If you don’t have systems in place, standards and strategy mean absolutely nothing. The systems that you must set in place are the wheels that turn everything in action. It’s what allows the day-to-day operations to run smoothly.

Your systems are how you handle projects internally. They include how you work with:

Outside agencies
Other ministry staff leaders to communicate their message
Senior staff to make sure the most important messages are being communicated the right way

You have to put these systems in place and communicate them to the staff. The Communications Pastor must be directly connected with the senior leader and leadership team – if not on the leadership team. If the Communication Pastor doesn’t fully understand the mission, values, strategy and vision of the church, they won’t be able to communicate them. They’ll be walking in the dark and all communication efforts will be futile.

Once the senior leadership has committed to the standards, strategy and systems, they need to be communicated to the entire staff and volunteers. For communications to be effective, everyone must “buy in” and treat the Communications Pastor and his team as the experts in the field. It is also advantageous for the Communication Pastor to include other staff members, volunteers, church members and community members to help shape the standards, strategy and systems. Doing these three things – and doing these three things first – will enable you to create an effective communications ministry in your church and for your community.

First Time Visitor to Member

March 26, 2012 in Culture, General, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy with 6 Comments

When is the last time you thought about what a “guest” thinks about before attending your church?

What should I wear? Will I fit in? Will our children have a great experience? Do I have the right Bible?

These are questions people ask before they even step foot in their vehicle and depart for a church service. It’s easy for church leaders to forget the emotions people face when visiting a church. Or the stress and anxiety people experience as they make their way to a church for the first time.

The car isn’t loaded. The kids are half-dressed eating Pop-Tarts. Mom can’t decide on an outfit. Dad forgot to iron shirt. The kids begin to whine. Anxiety is boiling and rising. Finally they pull into church parking lot…

What will they experience? Are you ready as church leader for these guests? How can you give them the guest experience they desire and deserve?

Guest Experience Checklist

From start to finish, you need to show your guests they are welcome by providing them an ideal visitor experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can do that:

Trying to Nail Jell-O to the Wall (and Knowing When to Quit)

March 22, 2012 in Culture, General, Leadership with 2 Comments

Imagine trying to nail Jell-O to the wall. Before you can even swing the hammer, it dribbles to the ground. As a consultant who helps individuals and organizations accelerate growth, I experience a constant challenge: I see client after client attempting to nail Jell-O (a department, employee, event, idea, etc.) to the wall. It keeps dropping to the floor and they keep pulling out nail after nail. They don’t receive the desired result but they keep trying over and over again. They refuse to dissolve a department, let go of an employee, or shut down an event or project. They don’t know when to quit.

Why is it so hard for organizations to let go?

It’s tough for leaders and organizations to quit. It symbolizes failure in the minds of many. From a young age, most of us are taught quitting is not an option. We need to stick it out, work harder and find a way. Most of the time, I agree with that philosophy. After all, great leaders are made by overcoming adversity. But there’s a flipside to that coin: great leaders also know when it’s time to cut their losses and move on. There’s a difference between giving up and failing. Leaders and organizations should not be afraid to admit when they’ve failed. You can only waste so many nails on the Jell-O before you go from being determined to being foolish.

10 Characteristics of Continuous Leaders

March 8, 2012 in Culture, General, Leadership with 0 Comments

Leaders are learners. Learners are leaders. Those who lead effectively learn continuously. These effective leaders never lose their curiosity. Simply stated, they never stop learning.

Are you a continuous leader? Here are 10 Characteristics of Continuous Leaders -

Desires to learn. The leader inherently possesses a deep emotional desire to learn.
Has humility. The leader is not impressed with how much they know.
Has endless curiosity. The leader pursues thoughts beyond their experience or knowledge.
Has the discipline to pursue learning. The leader schedules time on weekly schedule to read books, magazines, blogs.
Largely self-taught. The leader appreciates formal education but has the ability to learn on their own.
Listens more than talks. The leader understands the art of asking questions.
Alert to learn at every opportunity. The leader persistently looks for news ways to learn and grown.
Finds the best resources. The leader asks people who know more than you.
Welcomes feedback and evaluation. The leader holds a humble posture and invites constructive criticism.
Always teaching, informally or formally. – The leader grows by mentoring and teaching others.

Where do you stand?

Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing

February 27, 2012 in Communications, Culture, General, Leadership, Strategy with 2 Comments

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” - Steven R. Covey

What do you do? It’s a simple question, yet one that’s difficult for a lot of professionals to answer. That’s because we do so much. Our days are so jam-packed with work, scheduling, research, meetings, management, phone calls, administration, social media and other miscellaneous tasks, it’s easy to lose sight of our central purpose or mission. Fortunately, the solution lies with you. Let’s look at how you can “keep the main thing, the main thing”.

Main Thing: Your essential mission or purpose. This is the thing that inspires or excites you. It’s what keeps you up at night.

Minor Thing: The little tasks that cause headaches and stress without directly helping to achieve your goals.

We live in a world overwhelmed by the minor. Minor tasks pop up and add up, distracting us from the main thing. I see it happen to organizations everyday. A tidal wave of minor tasks floods individuals and the main thing gets washed away. The next thing you know, the minor things become the main thing – eating up the majority of your time. Then you wonder why things are not getting done or goals are not being accomplished. It’s a counterproductive cycle that professionals get stuck in far too often.

Follow these four steps to stay focused on the main thing and achieve your goals:

4 Ways to Become the Leader People Want to Follow

February 24, 2012 in Communications, Culture, General, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Strategy, Technology with 8 Comments

We’ve all had bosses we are proud to follow. People we’d do anything for. Even run through brick walls. On the other hand, most of us have also had bosses we follow only because, well, they’re the boss. So what separates the leaders we “want to” follow from the leaders we “have to” follow? The answer lies in the 4 Cs of Effective Leadership.

I have the great privilege of Guest Blogging on Michael Hyatt’s blog, today. Read this complete article on Michael Hyatt blog.

3 Tips For Strengthening And Growing Your Organization

February 23, 2012 in Culture, General, Leadership with 0 Comments

Your organization is a living thing. And like all living things, it needs to continually develop and grow. It needs to become smarter, stronger and more versatile. Just as a shark has to keep moving in order to breathe, your organization has to maintain consistent momentum. When you stop working or become complacent, like the shark, you’re dead in the water. Here’s how you can keep your organization swimming strong for years to come

Three “E”s of Successful Organizations:

Texas Ministry Conference Notes

February 18, 2012 in Communications, Culture, General, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Strategy, Technology with 0 Comments

I had a fantastic time presenting to organizational leaders at Texas Ministry Conference. The experience was very satisfying in knowing we helped Texas Ministry Conference reach an all time attendance record through Internet Marketing Campaigns. Additionally, the conference was very enjoyable knowing many people were impacted by receiving relevant content on ministry best practices.

Below you will find my handouts, notes and presentation decks for all three sessions -

Create a Web Experience, Not a Website – Maximizing Your Digital Front Door

After word-of-mouth, your website is your most powerful marketing tool. In 2011, your “new front door” starts with Google and ends with a click of the mouse. Are you capitalizing on the opportunities technology provides? Do you tell an online story or simply provide a PDF brochure online? Do you present people with an experience or an “every day” website? Learn compelling statistics and practical ways and tips to create a memorable website.

Handout

Notes

Presentation

Vision in Action – Vision Beyond the Whiteboard

Does your organization have a vision statement? How about a mission statement? You probably do. If you do not have these two vital statements, or if you have them but are not using them to guide your organization’s work, you are missing out on the most effective ways to create movement in your church. This movement requires action driven by vision and mission. Without an action, the vision and mission will never leave the whiteboard. Learn practical ways to identify and integrate vision and mission within your church and ministry.

Handout

Notes

Presentation

Healthy Leaders Lead Healthy Organizations – 10 Keys to Being a Healthy Leader

Being a pastor is a demanding and at times, a chaotic role. It is difficult to find restoration. Restoration is a key ingredient to being healthy. The mind, body, and soul need restoration…daily restoration. In this workshop, you will learn 10 principles that will change the way you do ministry. These principles penetrate every area of life, from spiritual to growth to marriage to physical exercise. Concluding the presentation, each attendee will be equipped to take the next steps to full health.

Handout

Notes

Presentation

I am available to speak and train your organization and leadership on these topics and more. Connect with me to start a conversation.

How Is Your Church Responding?

February 17, 2012 in Communications, Culture, General, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Strategy, Technology with 0 Comments

We (Resolute Creative) developed an informational video. The video addresses the overwhelming opportunity to spread the Gospel via the Internet. We know Internet stats. We know the power of the Internet. We know the Internet is not a fade. We know that Internet stats represent people.

The Great Commission does not exclude the Internet, it includes it. How is your church responding?

Internet: A Mission Field from Jacob Abshire on Vimeo.

4 Traits of Horrendous Leaders

February 16, 2012 in Culture, General, Leadership with 3 Comments

“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness is largely a matter of conscious, choice and discipline.” –Jim Collins

Leaders come in all shapes, sizes and styles. Autocratic and participative. Task-oriented and people-oriented. Wonderful and horrendous. All of them can teach us something. Even the horrendous ones. By recognizing the faults and missteps of bad leaders, we learn to become better leaders. To that end, let’s take a look at four attributes of horrendous leaders.

My time spent working in corporate America, and with churches, small businesses and startups, has allowed me to experience the full spectrum of leadership – from wonderful to horrendous. What I’ve found is most people don’t set out to become bad leaders. Rather it happens over time as a result of flawed decision-making, ethical lapses, or misguided motivations. Great leaders are valuable assets to companies. Business programs such as a masters in business administration and masters in public administration recognize this and have put leadership development at the forefront of the curriculum. To be great leaders, we must work to avoid these pitfalls of poor leadership.

Four characteristics of a horrendous leader:

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